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Forget Me Now
Forget Me Now
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book is one of those that you cannot seem to shake after you have read it.

The plot itself is not a new one, but I think Alana Terry added some great mystery to it. It also came with some good twists towards the end of the book. The book dealt with some sad subjects which I think added to the overall realism quality of it. We all have to die at some point, and we do need to think about what legacy we want to leave behind. I liked how Alana Terry kind of lead us through the main character’s thought process as well. It was an interesting view; one I am still trying to decide whether I like or not
  
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Sean Baker recommended Bad Lieutenant (1992) in Movies (curated)

 
Bad Lieutenant (1992)
Bad Lieutenant (1992)
1992 | Drama, Mystery
5.5 (4 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"This is torture. It was very difficult to leave off so many of my favorites from this list but I decided to go with my favorites that don’t get as much attention as others so that hopefully it leads to people seeking them out. So these aren’t in order — love them all equally. Abel Ferrara’s masterpiece Bad Lieutenant. I love NYC films and this truly captured the city’s vibe of the early ’90s. I could watch Harvey Keitel screaming, crying and smoking crack all day. Besides his amazing performance and Ferrara’s vibrant realism, Zoë Lund wrote one of the tightest screenplays ever written. We only got one film from her as she tragically passed away in 1999. Thank you Zoë… this is an important film."

Source
  
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Amanda Palmer recommended Steppenwolf in Books (curated)

 
Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf
Hermann Hesse, David Horrocks | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry
(0 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"When I was 15, I was in love. At 17, I told him I’d probably sleep with another man if given the chance. He left me in that moment, on the town green, after two years of non-stop passion. He moved to Prague. Seven weeks later, a blank brown packaged arrived with a book in it. No dedication. Another life-changer. Now that I’m married to a fantasy author, I’m not sure why this book isn’t filed in fantasy. I was tricked; I don’t read fantasy. But this book has a fantastical realism that pierces to the bottom of the psyche. I’ve re-read and re-read this sucker every five years since then, and I always read a different book"

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The Bay (2012)
The Bay (2012)
2012 | Horror
7
5.6 (9 Ratings)
Movie Rating
I've never been the biggest fan of the found footage sub genre (there are of course some notable exceptions!) but there's something about The Bay that really gets under my skin. The documentary style provides a strong sense of realism, and the footage shown captures the panic of an outbreak with eerie accuracy, and with recent real world events, it's all feels a bit too familiar, especially when negligence from people in charge is thrown into the mix.
The way the town descends into panic is executed in a truly disturbing way. The gore is seldom but hard hitting. The resulting film is one that makes me question both swimming and drinking tap water ever again, because those parasites are real, and absolutely fuck that.
  
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Dean (6927 KP) rated REC (2007) in Movies

Jan 7, 2018  
REC (2007)
REC (2007)
2007 | Horror
8
7.5 (13 Ratings)
Movie Rating
One of the best found footage films (1 more)
Genuinely scary
Scary
A great little Spanish horror film that has a realism about it you just don't get in many horror films. This did so well the Western remake was done just a few months later and also got good reviews @Quarantine (2008) . It's very short at 70mins but brutal and shocking after a slow opening. Filmed from the point of view of a local TV camera man, it's a found footage film like Blairwitch and Cloverfield, making a documentary about the local fire service. They go out on a call to a local apartment block, beginning a series of shocking events.
There are 2 sequels that are worth checking out and a sequel to the American version as well.
  
The Pillars of the Earth
The Pillars of the Earth
Ken Follett | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.6 (13 Ratings)
Book Rating
In Depth, long page turner
Contains spoilers, click to show
I'm not normally the sort of person who goes in for historical fiction. Especially those set in the Dark Ages, but gave it a go as had heard it was a modern 'must read'.
For something that was over 1000 pages, it never felt like a slog or a chore to read. The more you get in to it, the more you want to read in one sitting.
Admitted, the sex scenes are quite gratuitous and graphic at times. And, taken in a modern context, the continual dumping on the lead character can seem overly harsh, as if the author gets pleasure from torturing his lead. But read the book through the historical lens of it's 12th-13th Century setting, and this reduces the frustrations, and adds to the realism
  
The Dispatcher
The Dispatcher
John Scalzi | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fantastic Narration
I got this book as part of the Audibles Free Monthly Originals program. I was extremely excited when I saw this novella on the list. I've always appreciated John Scalzi's writing so I was excited to try this book out. The narrator (Zachary Quinto) was phenomenal. I love listening to audiobooks because, in rare moments, the narrator brings the story to life. This is one of those moments. Zachary Quinto breathed life into this book, his voices and acting were fantastic!

The plot of this novella kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed the blend of science fiction and realism. This book though science fiction felt real. I could see this take place in the future. It almost had an Altered Carbon feel to it in a way.